Happy Pop Day
by Lolitafreak88
Summary: Father's Day has arrived for the Happy Tree Friends and this one proves to be no ordinary Father's Day for the town's resident dad Pop and his son Cub. When things get hairy on a pirate ship ride, Pop needs to go to the hospital and Cub needs someone to take care of him. It will come down to someone very unlikely to be dad of the day and to see what it's like to be in Pop's shoes.
1. Father's Day

Happy Pop's Day

By Lolitafreak88

Starring: Pop, Cub, and Disco Bear

Featuring: Russell, Toothy, Lifty, Shifty, Giggles, and Petunia.

A disaster. A series of failed attempts. Pitiful. That was what the interior of the household of Pop and Cub looked like. The oven door was open and smoking and the remains of what were to be some delicious, home-made chocolate chip cookies were lying on a tray that was still very hot. The fireplace was extinguished after an attempt to make some toasted marshmallows went awry. Even the table in the living room was smashed with colored pencils destroyed and coloring books ruined when the fly appeared. Father's Day was a day not many of the Tree Friends celebrated. Giggles had a mother and Lifty and Shifty were brothers but only Pop was a father, and a dismal one at that. He meant well but he was careless, absent-minded, tried too hard, and often ended up killing or badly hurting Cub. He didn't even have the proper common sense to watch over Cub when he was using a lawn mower. This Father's Day he had tried to be perfect, he tried to be as focused as possible and also as entertaining. The day before, he had studied what it took to be a good parent at the library, and was careful not to upset Flippy. He had read that good parent's are warm, understanding, attentive, give space when needed, give advice when needed, and are active. A lot of the other Tree Friends felt that Pop lacked half of those needs or rarely displayed them effectively. It could be proven by the number of times father and son had died. Even then, Pop had done his best to channel those needs at least for one day, the holiday that celebrated fathers. But one measly fly had ruined that for him.

It had started with the toasting of the marshmallows. Pop was daydreaming about him and Cub enjoying the melty sweetness of the marshmallows and soon even the stick was lit aflame. Only Pop's though, not Cub's but it still stung Pop's hand and when he let go of the stick, it landed right next to Cub. Fortunately Pop had a fire extinguisher and he used it to quickly douse the fireplace and the stick that was ablaze. Some of the extinguisher material had landed on Cub's marshmallow and Cub had just put it in his mouth so Pop quickly performed the Heimlich maneuver on Cub. He was able to get Cub to spit out the marshmallow and he washed Cub's mouth out with water four times, though accidentally set it to hot on the first time before setting it to a cool temperature. Pop then tried to fix the tension by baking chocolate-chip cookies with Cub and it actually had been quite enjoyable. He let Cub eat a few of the chocolate-chips, helped him cut out the shapes with cookie cutters, and they laughed and smiled. Pop put them in the oven and decided to pass the time by coloring pictures in a coloring book with Cub. He got out the coloring pencils but then a pesky fly showed up from the open window and flew around the room. Pop scowled, it was Father's Day, not Fly's Day and it also made Cub a bit nervous. So Pop armed himself with a flyswatter and started to attack it. But he found himself a bit too into it and he fell onto the table at one point and promptly broke it and the colored pencils that were on it. The coloring books eventually got torn in the struggle between Pop and the fly, resulting from Pop stepping on the books and turning around with his foot on it, resulting in tearing the pages. The humorous struggle did entertain Cub though who was laughing. But then the smoke alarm went off after a while, as Pop, so focused on removing this fly from his life, had forgotten about the cookies. Pop temporarily abandoned his escapade and checked on the cookies only to find that they were ruined and smoking. Which now led to the current situation. Pop having a greater desire to demolish the fly, and Cub crying on the floor. But with one skillful swipe from the flyswatter, the fly was taken out and landed on the floor. Pop proceeded to stomp on it several times, not minding the gross feeling it brought him one bit as he was finally killing something that had been a nuisance to him and Cub. After the fly was crushed to bits, which surprisingly was just as disgusting than any of the Tree Friends getting smashed to bits, Pop got a napkin, sat on the couch, and wiped his foot of what was left of the fly. Cub, who now got up on his feet and was adorably waddling over to Pop then saw something that even to a young baby would be very heart-breaking. Pop laid on his side, tears clearly fresh in his eyes, grabbed a nearby pillow, and began sobbing hysterically into it.

It was the middle of the day and it already felt like Father's Day was absolutely ruined. He had messed up cookies, marshmallows, and now he had to go out to town tomorrow and buy a new table and risk getting killed in town. The only good thing about this was that he and Cub were alive but probably not for long. _Why can't I do things right?_ Pop thought bitterly. He was a father, a lone father, with much more responsibility than the typical father. But he always seemed to show incompetence and disgrace as a father and poor Cub suffered for it. A baby shouldn't have to die as many times as Cub did because of their parent. Pop felt he didn't deserve Father's Day, it was far too kind of the universe. Cub looked very sad too and uttered a sad baby cry. But then he heard the sound of the door opening. Cub, an infant, was naturally curious about who that could be. He didn't really know anyone by their names yet, only descriptions. It was a system that he and Pop had developed. Was it "Bow"? "Captain"? "Genius"? "PTSD"? "Amputee?" "Speedo"? "Dimwit"?

"YARRR!" Came the call from the entranceway to the Pop household. It was "Captain", Russell to be exact! Russell was someone Pop and Cub liked, as he was very nice and warm-hearted. He was not a father though so was he here to simply congratulate Pop for Happy Father's Day? Not many of the Tree Friends congratulated Pop during Father's Day because of two reasons. He was the ONLY father in town and a poor one at that. But sometimes Nutty would do it, usually if he was sugar high and Lammy actually did congratulate Pop that morning, probably because she was still trying to fit in. Russell was smiling but then his face grew sentimental and a bit concerned when he saw Pop crying on the couch. Pop finally raised his face from the pillow, eyes red from crying so much and tear streaks still visible. He smiled weakly at the sight of Russell and muttered a "hello" in Tree Friend language. Russell then smiled and pulled out of his pants pocket a brochure. The brochure looked new and had an image of a pirate ship on it. Pop took it and began to look at it while Cub hopped excitedly. He liked anything with an exciting picture on it. Russell explained that this was a advertisement for his boat ride that would be happening in a few minutes and that he decided to personally come pick up Pop and Cub and take them on the boat ride as a Father's Day gift. It would be on Russell's very own pirate ship. The weather report said it would be a perfect day for sailing too so they wouldn't have to worry about hurricanes, whirlpools, tidal waves, or whatever disastrous weather could occur out on the sea. Pop had to admit that a little fresh air would be nice and that it DID sound like something he and Cub would have fun doing. Plus it was free! Pop nodded and his smile became bigger and more genuine. Russell laughed heartily and took Cub by the hand and escorted him and Pop out the door.

Eventually they were at the pirate ship. It turned out that Petunia and Toothy were also coming along for the ride. Petunia was even dressed in an old-fashioned Cavalier dress complete with hat and parasol. Her Christmas Tree necklace was ever present as her main accessory. Pop was holding Cub gently and tickled his belly making Cub laugh happily as they waited to get onboard. However, they did not notice that behind them were a few barrels placed in such a way that they hid whatever was behind them. And what was behind them were two familiar but not really welcome faces. Lifty and Shifty. They had heard about Russell's pirate ship and, of course, wanted to pillage him of his treasure that he had stored on the ship. They planned to sneak on board and sneak in and take the treasure and escape on one of the lifeboats. A dastardly scheme indeed.

Just then, the ramp to the boat was lowered and Russell appeared at the top of the ramp and called everyone to come over on the ship. Petunia was first, escorted by Toothy for no particular reason. Pop and Cub then came on deck. Lifty and Shifty climbed into one of the barrels and tried to tip-toe onto the ship but the titled angle of the ramp, the fact they were in a relatively heavy barrel with limited movement, and gravity caused them to lose their balance and fall onto the ramp. They rolled all the way down gasping and shouting and crashed into the rest of the barrels, destroying them. None of the Tree Friends that were on the ship noticed this however. Lifty and Shifty rubbed their heads and groaned that they messed up on sneaking aboard the ship. _Although there's still another way,_ Shifty thought, eyeing the chain that held the ship's anchor. If they could hold onto the anchor and wait till it reached the top, then they could easily climb onto the ship. Sure enough, Russell started to hoist up the anchor and so Lifty and Shifty saw the anchor emerge out of the water and they grabbed onto it and each sat on either side of the anchor as it rose up. Meanwhile, the Tree Friends on the ship cheered and the ship set sail with Russell at the ship's wheel.

As the sun started to set, for the day was quickly getting late, Lifty and Shifty worked together and climbed onboard and began tip-toeing around the ship, careful to not be seen. The ship was going slowly, carried by the wind, as the crewmates were enjoying an early dinner. Russell and Toothy clanged their beer glasses together, the beer glasses in question being full of a frothy, bubbly drink. Pop, still nursing a napping Cub, raised an eyebrow. He thought that Russell would've had something a young infant could eat and drink and not beer of all things. Russell insisted that it was root beer and even offered to add ice cream to Cub's.

"He's sleeping." Pop replied, denying an offer for dinner altogether. Although the view was nice at the very least so it wasn't all bad. Pop looked to see Petunia gazing out into the beautifully bright horizon, twirling her parasol in an elegant way. She looked fair, young, someone very approachable and someone you could speak to honestly. It reminded Pop of...

"Hmm?" Lifty and Shifty asked together from behind a corner when they saw Pop suddenly fall to his knees and almost drop Cub. Toothy noticed first and quickly rushed to him, dropping his glass of root beer in the process. Cub was woken up from the sudden impact and started to moan, on the verge of a meltdown. Pop, who looked visibly shaken, quickly tended to Cub and hummed "Rock-A-Bye Baby" to him while swaying his arms. It worked though Toothy looked very concerned about Pop. Lifty, anxious to get to what they came for, nudged his older brother's shoulder and gestured that this was the chance to get into the deck where all the treasure was. Shifty frowned that he was the one who was out of focus but nodded and they went down into the basement of the ship. Unfortunately for them, there was but ONE single chest of treasure. Russell, being rather smart, usually kept his treasure at his home and so the twin thieves did not know this. Shifty and Lifty looked at one another and shrugged their shoulders, concluding that even just one treasure chest is still a lot of money. They ran over to it and were surprised it wasn't even locked when they tried to open it. The exposed chest had jewels, gold coins, necklaces, and some weird idol thing. But it looked ominous and familiar to Lifty and Shifty but they couldn't quite figure out what it was. That was when something very bad happened.

"THUMP!" The sound of something very large colliding with the ship echoed throughout the ship and the resulting impact caused Lifty and Shifty to lose their balance and fall over and they tumbled into the walls of the ship's basement though were ok. The chest dangerously slid a bit but didn't move too much. On the ship's deck, the Tree Friends weren't spared either. Pop fell over and dropped Cub onto the deck and Toothy nearly crashed into the steering wheel but managed to hold onto it to support himself. Russell held onto the ropes that raised the sails to stay on his feet. Petunia, carrying a parasol, had no method of holding herself together either and as she had been gazing off with a dreamy expression, fell over the right side of the ship and was hanging on for dear life on the edge of the ship screaming. Her parasol fell into the water and so did her Cavalier Hat. As the boat rocked back and forth from the vibrations, the sunset was quickly becoming hidden by what appeared to be an approaching storm. Russell looked shocked! The weather report mentioned nothing about a thunderstorm! Plus all pirates knew that thunderstorms were every pirates biggest test!

Pop was beginning to wish he had stayed home today but noticed that Cub was not in his arms and began to look for him. Pop saw him climbing some crates that were against the left edge of the ship. If whatever bumped into them the first time did it again while Cub was on the top of the crate, he would fall into the sea. Rain started to pour down as the thunderstorm arrived in record rate and the deck became slippery and the waves of the ocean started to grow big and menacing and rocked the ship with their intensity. The ship was anything but stable at this point, it kept shifting from to side to side, the rain and winds being intense and practically slashing at the sails of the ship. The sails seemed fine however though were being pushed with a lot of wind and the ship started to steer off course. Russell recognized instantly that the steering wheel was spinning out of control, due to the intensity of the wind and so he dared not touch it and he warned Toothy of this and was about to tell Pop when he saw Pop running towards Cub and crying out to Cub to stop climbing. Russell watched Pop go with a nervous expression before heading to rescue Petunia.

"Humph!" Shifty muttered seeing Pop racing across the wet deck towards his son. He and Lifty had finally exited the basement with the still open treasure chest and started to see what was making the boat so tipsy. Shifty, channeling a mischievous pirate, stuck his foot out and tripped Pop as he ran. Pop was propelled into the air for a bit and then hit the deck, sliding as the boat had tilted dangerously leftward and the rain had turned the deck into a slip and slide. On the right side, Petunia couldn't hold on any longer and let go, and as a result, began to fall towards the cold-hearted ocean. But her descent was ended quite prematurely when an orca, a killer whale, leapt out of the water and snapped its jaws, closing in on Petunia and taking her with it as it plunged into the depths. Petunia had now become dinner for the orca and it revealed the identity of the thing that had hit the ship before. All of this was witnessed by Russell who had gazed safely from the ship. Russell gasped, he had more than a few deadly experiences with aquatic life, the most recent one being a deceptive kraken, but rarely did he see such a dangerous sight and on something that usually comforted him. He had also previously felt what it was like to be inside a whale and he NEVER wanted to feel that again, it was such a dismal state. And seeing Lumpy being killed by his own hand...

"Ha...ha, HA, HA, HA!" Now Russell usually was a very reasonable, mature fellow, probably one of the most sane Tree Friends, but even he had a dark side. When a situation seemed too daunting and horrible, he had a tendency to... pull a Fliqpy. In other words, he underwent a flip out of his own. His eyes adapted a similar appearance to Fliqpy's own eyes, and he began to laugh manically. Sanity went off the plank at this point. He turned around suddenly and looked berserk. His eyes caught Shifty and Lifty first. Pop's momentum finally stopped when he himself, crashed into the same crates that Cub was on. Cub stumbled and fell over the left side of the ship, crying out as he fell. Pop quickly got to his feet and watched in horror as Cub hit the water. Pop looked to the left and right, scared and panicked. _What do I do? What do I do? Do I just give up? Do I just accept that he is dead even when I don't know for sure?_ But Pop realized that his reasoning was that of someone who was afraid in his own abilities. He thought back to his studies the previous day. He had read that the best kind of parents would make sacrifices if necessary for their children. In Happy Tree Friend town that was possible... no, REQUIRED of not just parents, but the citizens in general. Pop took a few deep breaths, composing himself, and mentally preparing himself for what he knew he was going to do. _I can't disappoint her or Cub anymore. _Pop then placed one arm on the side of the ship, lifted himself over it up like a professional gymnast, and headed towards the water, landing in it with a big SPLASH!

Meanwhile, Lifty and Shifty decided to stay true to the pirate code of pillage and plunder and were approaching a very frightened Toothy in a menacing way. They wanted to see if he had anything up for grabs. Toothy was nervous due to a combination of a killer whale, the intensity of the storm, and the fact Lifty and Shifty had once killed Nutty to take something from him. But Lifty and Shifty hadn't taken Russell and his current condition into account. So Shifty was confused to feel a tap on his shoulder that felt more like a poke with a stick or something sharp. He turned to see something that was just about as scary as seeing Fliqpy up close, a clearly insane Russell about to slash him with his hook. Shifty didn't have enough time to react and Russell's hook landed squarely into Shifty's eye, stabbing into it. Shifty screamed, his sight now reduced greatly, and clung onto Russell's hook, trying to pull it out of his eyes. But Russell was far from finished and promptly pulled his hook out of the eye fiercely, pulling out Shifty's whole eyeball along with it. Shifty howled in pain, only to be tackled to the ground by Russell, who was out for blood. Lifty realized that Russell was not mentally well at this point and started to run but the slickness of the water caused him to slide across the ship and as the ship was tilting in all directions, he had no real control. Toothy side-stepped out of Lifty's way to avoid getting hit and Lifty ended up crashing into the steering wheel and fell over, his head under that very steering wheel. Then at that moment a very strong wind blew across the deck. Toothy was sent flying into the air but he managed to hold onto the mast of the ship and stayed on. But the wind sent the steering wheel turning at an alarming rate and it mashed Lifty's head with each rapid turn, smashing it and spreading blood and brains everywhere.

Meanwhile, back in the water, Pop's head popped out of the water and he started looking and calling out for Cub. He then heard Cub's wail a fair distance away from his location. Then he saw Cub flailing his arms in the water, crying out desperately. It was a miracle already that a baby was able to keep his head above water without any swimming lessons in the midst of such a storm. Pop quickly swam over to Cub but unfortunately the killer whale had noticed their presence in the water and was swimming around the boat and straight for them. Pop managed to reach Cub and took him in his arms only to see in horror, the orca ominously appearing out of the water, it's jaw open wide, to take a bite out of them. Pop managed to dive down into the water with Cub in his left arm and the orca brushed by them, though Pop suddenly felt a searing pain in his right arm, then he felt like he barely even HAD a right arm. Pop and Cub emerged again, Cub still sad and scared, and the orca was turning around for another go. But this time Pop was not about to let the orca have its way. He waited till the orca appeared above the water and then generated a menacing roar and expression. A bear's roar could be very intimidating and especially when accompanied with an intense expression. In fact, Pop's expression looked startlingly similar to Fliqpy's usual demonic glare. The orca was petrified in the presence of such an overpowering look and it quickly submerged and swam off, Pop's intimidation working like a charm. Cub smiled and cheered when Pop scared off the killer whale but then noticed what Pop also noticed with a grim expression. Pop's right arm had been eaten off, the tattered and suddenly short sleeve of his bathrobe being evidence of such. Blood dripped from the wound into the water but Pop seemed to accept his wound. It was like Handy's permanent wounds.

Back on deck, Toothy had safely slid down the mast back onto the deck and then noticed the treasure chest that Lifty and Shifty had taken out and then saw, THE CURSED IDOL. _That must be what's causing this storm_, he thought. Toothy raced to the chest, grabbed the Idol, and hurled it off the ship and far into the sea. As it hit the water, instantly the storm ceased, and the clouds began to disappear, showing a dusky dark sky adorned with stars. Toothy was glad that the storm was over but he was still hearing weird sounds. Like that of meat being sliced again and again and insane... uh-oh. Instinctively, Toothy looked around for Russell and saw exactly what he had been doing. Shifty's body looked unrecognizable, the face hacked with teeth, brains, and an empty eyehole exposed. The body had cuts everywhere, with organs slashed and bones visible. Russell was not exactly drenched in blood, as the rain had washed it off him creating a very ominous red puddle around him and Shifty, but he still had fresh blood on him and he was not any saner. He was slashing at Shifty again and again in a freakish rhythm with his pure crimson hook. Toothy sighed, knowing that he had to be precise with his approach. So he settled on running over to the rampaging Russell, grabbing him firmly, turning him around, and slapping him as hard as he could. Fortunately it worked as Russell's eyes regained their normal Happy Tree Friends shape and pupil. He looked over to the carnage he had inflicted and face-palmed at the fact that he had so quickly lost control. _At least I defended my treasure and ship_, Russell thought. But then he remembered their other passengers.

"POP?! CUB?!" He called out, trying to figure out where they were. Toothy was about to join Russell in his efforts when they heard a reply from what seemed like the water. Running over to the left side of the ship and sure enough, they saw Pop and Cub in the water. Toothy and Russell cringed when they saw Pop's injury but didn't hesitate to start lowering the lifeboat that ironically would've been Lifty and Shifty's intended escape route. Both were concerned about Pop. Pop would need to go to a hospital as soon as possible for such a wound, and that would leave Cub alone. They would need to find someone to babysit Cub. Father's Day had definitely proven itself to still be quite the eventful holiday for the Tree Friends. It did seem like Pop had proven himself a strong father though, so at least something good came out of it. Things usually did in Tree Friend town.

WHEW! Ok I know it's a week SINCE Father's Day but to be truthful, I came up with this story last YEAR on Father's Day so it was a must-do at this point. Plus it's my first Happy Tree Friends story in a LONG time since I was busy with Phineas and Ferb but hopefully I haven't lost my touch. It was tricky writing the ship scene though because I had to remember what ship terms to use and stuff but I think it went well XD. I do take some liberties with Pop and Cub's relationship I think in this story but I do try to stay true to what we've always known about them. Besides, I'm pretty sure we all wonder what it is that Pop does on Father's Day. So Pop and Cub survived an experience that left Pop with a hospital injury and Cub in need of a babysitter. Who will step up to the plate? How will it go? Are there anymore deaths in store? We'll have to see for ourselves in Part 2! Like with all stories I take no copyright and all rights belong respectfully and eloquently to Mondo Media and Happy Tree Friends (Who are now on their way to season 4 HOLLA XD). Thank you ^_^.


	2. Darling Disco Bear

Happy Pop Day Part 2

By Lolitafreak88

The boat had finally arrived back on shore and Russell had immediately called for an ambulance. With Pop missing an arm and bleeding, he and Toothy managed to bandage it the best they could and they even had Cub help a bit. They had Cub tie some of the bandages around Pop's wound with the same guidance you'd expect from a counselor. Eventually an ambulance did arrive and its driver turned out to be Giggles, Nurse Giggles anyway. Giggles had a job at the medical hospital sometimes, usually with Lumpy, but Lumpy had been inconsistent since a certain fiasco involving hearts, sandwiches, and Disco Bear. Nurse Giggles carried out a gurney and with help from Russell, managed to put Pop on the gurney. At this point, another Tree Friend showed up, though mostly because he had saw the commotion and wondered what was happening. Although his presence definitely would cause a mixed reaction on the other Tree Friends present for he was quite the tease. It was Disco Bear, or "Speedo" as Pop put it for Cub.

Disco Bear was definitely stunned to see Pop's right arm missing, replaced with a bandage and giving it the appearance of one of Handy's nubs. Even Disco Bear knew it was Father's Day and he didn't think Pop deserved this. _I've always wondered about those pirate ships,_ Disco Bear thought. Little did he know that it did bring some great realizations for Pop and helped finally prove his worth and talent as a father. So Disco Bear was a bit angry at Pop's poor luck. Then he saw the others. He saw Toothy who he was ok with, Toothy was decently nice and friends with Cuddles. Russell... not so much. He was a pirate so he had the unfair advantage of having a dashing status that charmed the ladies and he had been on several dates with Giggles by now, the most recent one involving a kraken. Although to be fair, Russell was nice and kind of smart too but he was probably one of Disco Bear's biggest rivals in the art of wooing ladies. He then saw Giggles, Giggles looked lovely as ever in her nurse's outfit and he also admired how dedicated she was to her work as she was attentive and made sure Pop was ok. He then noticed Cub in Toothy's arms, which he didn't notice at first due to his small size. Cub looked innocent and worried, probably concerned about his father. Pop would probably make it out ok, it wasn't as dangerous as the time Disco Bear himself had to go to the hospital and had that AWFUL whale heart sewed into him. Then again there was also that incident with Petunia and Handy in the hospital... _Ok, Pop SHOULD make it ok, _Disco Bear concluded.

Disco Bear decided to make himself known but then stopped when he saw Russell tip his hat off to Giggles and Giggles, well, giggled. Disco Bear then resorted to make a very irate expression and mumbled angrily to himself as he approached them. Giggles noticed him first and had a very bothered expression. She had suffered the pain of Disco Bear's flirting attempts more times and in more ways than she'd prefer. But then again, it was known that Disco Bear did have a lot of personal issues like about weight gain and by now she regretted the time she had made fun of him for that. So Giggles asked him why he was here. Disco Bear merely stated that he had just saw the commotion and wanted to investigate. Giggles went to carry Pop into the open doors of the ambulance when Disco Bear joined Russell in watching over him.

Pop stirred a bit and regained consciousness temporarily, having dozed off out of fatigue and weakness. He was still very tired, very weak, and he was also still thinking about personal things. The day, his family, his son, his past, and one question. _Did I do a good job as a father?_ He tried to focus on an object and, possibly because of his big afro, he was drawn to Disco Bear. Now Disco Bear was a bear, just like Pop, Cub, Flippy, and... her. Weakness was clouding his vision and he was beginning to hallucinate even. He could only see the face of that woman standing in front of him. To him, she was wearing some kind of orange hat and had a sympathetic, concerned expression. Although he was tragically far from the truth, he still thought he saw that woman. The woman that helped him, and helped with Cub. So he couldn't control himself and said something that was a mix between a whisper and a confession,

"Darling..." Disco Bear's reaction was swift like lightning and his eyes widened and he backed a few steps away, arms flailing to accompany this shock, and also to look a bit groovy. Not many people called him by pet names and especially not... other guys. But he remembered that when people are weak and tired or suffering from blood loss, they usually saw things that weren't there and he was a bear. So maybe Pop had mistaken him for whoever 'Darling' was to Pop. Yet, Disco Bear felt strangely happy at this misconception. It was like he was being appreciated for the first time by someone, being acknowledged for his character and appearance. All the girls he had tried to win over with love had rejected him, in favor of Handy or Mime or Cuddles or Russell or someone other than Disco Bear. So to know that he wasn't completely rejected by someone, even if it wasn't because Disco Bear had tried to flirt with them, was something to be overjoyed about. Still, Disco Bear couldn't help but shudder a bit at being called 'Darling' by Pop. Russell smirked a bit at Disco Bear's reaction though Disco Bear did not notice. This smirk vanished fast when Giggles took the gurney with Pop on it inside the ambulance, got out, and shut the doors.

Giggles knew there was something left to address before she took Pop to the hospital. Who was to take care of Cub while Pop was recovering? This sparked something in Disco Bear's mind regarding what Pop just said and he assumed a thinking pose. Was Pop entrusting him to take care of Cub? That would sound logical and make the thing much less... In truth, Disco Bear was a bear, which meant he was the same species as Pop and Cub and so he could relate best with them. Plus if he was ever going to get a girl, parenting was a good skill to have on hand. _It might even impress the ladies_, Disco Bear thought with a nod. Toothy and Russell said they couldn't, Toothy because he was a bit too young and Russell because he felt that he would have trouble taking care of Cub with a hook as one of his hands. Taking advantage of this situation, Disco Bear announced that he would take care of Cub.

The other Tree Friends turned to Disco Bear in shock. Disco Bear was a bit charitable and nice but he had built himself such a reputation for being the playboy who tried to woo the girls. He didn't seem like the best father figure either for Cub. In fact, it was almost scary to think of poor innocent Cub at the house of Disco Bear, the town's lover boy. Giggles gave a skeptical expression and asked why Disco Bear wanted to be the babysitter. Did he have what it took to take care of a baby boy? Disco Bear himself couldn't really answer that question and he wasn't as optimistic as some of the other Tree Friends but he wouldn't just throw in the towel. When he had weight gain he went straight to the gym and exercised! He felt confident. Disco Bear's reply was him pointing at his bear ears and giving a thumbs-up afterward, as though to indicate that he was a bear, that he was up for it, and wanted to take care of Cub. This made Giggles actually very surprised and pleased. She didn't think Disco Bear was serious when he made that declaration but he showed that he was serious. Plus he had a point about the species thing. Flippy was a bear too but Disco Bear was a safer bet for parenting.

"Ok!" Giggles permitted. Disco Bear, thrilled with his successful offer (Or perhaps bid), did a victory dance that involved a moonwalk followed by two hip thrusts to the left with his arms outstretched the other way and one eye closed in a wink. Russell managed to not roll his eyes, Giggles chuckled, and Toothy just gave an off look but smiled when he saw that Cub seemed to enjoy the dance. Cub was laughing and clapping like a good audience member. Toothy then handed Cub to Disco Bear who held Cub like he had seen Pop do, a cradle. Giggles then said farewell and got into the ambulance and drove off, sending Pop on his way to recover. The three male Tree Friends that were left then went their separate ways, bidding each other farewell and leaving.

By now it was nighttime, not the safest time of day but ironically more deaths seemed to happen in the day than the night in the town. Disco Bear was still carrying Cub, not as tired as he expected to be. _All that exercise and dancing is really starting to pay off,_ Disco Bear thought pleasantly. He was feeling really good about himself and that this would go along great. Eventually they arrived at Disco Bear's pad. Interestingly enough, it was a tree house, with a stepping stone-style stairway to the entrance of it and it looked comfortable and like it defined Disco Bear as a Tree Friend. Disco Bear soon reached the top of the stairway and entered the house. Disco Bear's house was quite a difference from Pop and Cub's home. It was a lot... flashier and seemed more hi-tech. There were pictures of Disco Bear around, including one of a shirtless Disco Bear with a strange expression, at least to Cub. Cub also saw a green chair with a few magazines to the side, a lever on the left seat, and some weird machine on it that seemed to work on heads. Cub also saw a sink and noticed that the floor was composed of squares that lit up when you stepped on them.

"Ooooooohhhhh!" Cub stated, happy to see something shiny and exciting. Disco Bear was glad he had installed that mechanism, it was perfect for parties and keeping the kids happy. There was also a sink with a mirror above it though it didn't appear to be the bathroom. However, Cub also saw another weird machine that looked like you were meant to step on it. A weighing scale. Disco Bear looked a bit unnerved that Cub noticed that. That scale often only brought him bad news, like that he was overweight, and thus made him exercise more which wouldn't have bothered him so much if he hadn't previously died from exercise before. Still he was enjoying exercise more than before but it brought him a feeling of insecurity about himself that would probably stay with him for a while. But Disco Bear shook his head, knowing he was taking care of Cub, that he had responsibilities, was important, and... was called 'Darling'. _Why can't I get over that little statement?_ Disco Bear thought confused. Fortunately, the sound of Cub's stomach growling ceased any attempt that Disco would've made to reason about it.

"Oh yeah..." Disco Bear's usual catchphrase was not as exaggerated as before, probably because it was said this time to indicate realization and not about how handsome he was. After that adventure on the pirate ship Cub probably hadn't eaten anything yet. Disco Bear had dinner already, right before he investigated the events of the boat ride but Cub hadn't, and it wasn't good for a growing baby to go hungry for one night. Disco Bear usually ate at restaurants but it was far too late for any to be open right now, so he went snooping around for something he could give Cub. Eventually he found some cereal, and cereal was like the WATER of food, could be eaten by nearly everyone and came in so many kinds that it was considered a staple of food. So he made a bowl of cereal for Cub and he watched Cub eat it at a steady pace. It was quite satisfying for some reason to watch Cub eat his cereal happily like this. _Maybe it's because he's showing that he's growing and learning? _Disco Bear asked himself.

Eventually Cub finished his bowl of cereal and it was time for bed, which Disco Bear usually liked. Although he realized that he didn't have a crib for Cub, he thought that his standard heart-shaped two-animal bed would be enough for a very sleepy baby. Although maybe the groovy print on the blanket was a bit too much for Cub... Or maybe Cub would grow to like that kind of print. Babies were often influenced by what they saw around them. That was why many parents tried to have their nurseries or have the place where the baby grew up look imaginative, soft, and innocent. Disco Bear's decor was not exactly baby appropriate but it wasn't where Cub would stay for the rest of his life so it'd be ok for this one time. Disco Bear brought another pillow and put it on the other side of the bed and gently laid the now napping Cub onto the bed and made sure he was under the covers. Then Disco Bear himself, now in a pair of groovy blue pajamas and his afro encased in a hairnet, turned off the lights, got into bed, and looked over the sleeping Cub one more time before finally descending into dreamland. He had suddenly developed a great idea, an idea to celebrate Pop coming back from his return to the hospital and maybe show that Disco Bear could be a good babysitter. Although it was only the first night, which meant the next day would either go smoothly, or be a chaotic bundle of hullabaloo. At least they didn't die yet and Disco Bear knew that it was usually a good sign to not have died so far. Father's Day was closing on a positive note, and hopefully this positivity would stay for tomorrow.

Um, I feel it is wise to address a potential concern so I shall do so. I am taking a few liberties with Pop's back-story, but as of the first episode of season 4 we still don't know who Cub's mother is, and only subtle hints MIGHT'VE been made about her. Mostly the scene of Pop and Cub at the tombstone as though in mourning. It has been believed that it is the grave of Cub's mother. So I am kind of basing 'Darling' on that theory. Besides, it cannot be denied Pop had some woman in his life that gave birth to Cub (Trying not to sound too awkward here) so 'Darling' can stand for anything really. So I am hoping that I've cleared things up. ^_^ Anyways I have a bad feeling this will be one of, if not the, shortest stories I've written yet. But I think as long as they are filled to the brim with excellence that it could still be a great story. That's the beauty of one-shots after all XD. Plus don't you love it when as you start to write the story you come up with new ideas that you didn't initially conceive? Anyways, Disco Bear's adventures as a babysitter begin, will they go well? Will they become a chaotic bundle of hullabaloo? And can Pop recover? Find out on part 3! Once again I take no ownership of copyright or the material used in this story and all rights belong respectfully and eloquently to Mondo Media and Happy Tree Friends. Gracias ^_^.


	3. Dad for the Day

Happy Pop Day Part 3

By Lolitafreak88

The day after Father's Day came in a sunny fashion. Disco Bear had a very unique alarm clock that fit his tastes to a T. It was shaped like a record player and even had a disco ball on top. As the set time for the alarm clock was reached, the record player sprang to life and played some very catchy disco music and the disco ball shined brightly and spun around, illuminating the room with circles of light and practically transformed Disco Bear's bedroom into the perfect dance party. Disco Bear, having memorized the alarm clock music and sight of the lights, grumbled and put his pillow over his head, wanting to sleep in. But he was quickly reminded of the events from yesterday when he heard a very confused,

"Huh?" It didn't sound like a woman and it sounded very young and child-like. It instantly brought him back memories of Pop heading to the hospital and him volunteering to babysit Cub. Cub had been awaken by the alarm though started to laugh and make adorable baby noises when he saw the lightshow that was adorning the walls in all directions. Disco Bear moved the pillow off his face and got up, taking off his hair net and smiled at Cub. _I'm glad he didn't fall off the bed_, he thought. Disco Bear then began to think of what he should do. Normally he would get ready of course but now Cub was here and so he had to get himself ready for the day and also Cub. He then got an idea. He would bathe Cub and then bathe himself afterward while keeping an eye on Cub. He couldn't leave Cub unattended after all, it was what caused Pop such distress, and he treasured his body as a temple so it seemed like the best solution.

Disco Bear lifted himself off the bed and picked up the laughing Cub and headed to the bathroom. He had a shower of course and decided that would be the best way to clean the little baby bear instead of putting him in something like a sink or a tub. He gently undressed Cub (Surprised to see that he had quite the hairdo after he removed the hat) and placed him in the tub. He then turned on the shower, measured the temperature of the water with great precision and then aimed the showerhead at Cub. Cub laughed and splashed in the water, quite fond of the natural element. Disco Bear thought that the usual soap he used would be too harsh on kids, as it was a scented brand meant to 'Attract the Ladies'. So he used a regular bar of soap that he had on hand and scrubbed Cub with care yet firmness. It seemed like it could grow to be tedious but yet Disco Bear felt that cleaning a baby up was rewarding in a way. It helped him feel like he was doing a good job and if he was a baby, he'd want to be squeaky clean too. Eventually Cub was done and so Disco Bear grabbed a towel and dried off Cub with great energy. Though when he removed the towel, he noticed that Cub's hair was in a very wild state, flying in all directions. Fortunately, Disco Bear grabbed Cub's signature propeller cap and put it on Cub's head, hiding the messy mop of hair effectively.

Disco Bear was able to then put on a fresh diaper for Cub and now Cub was ready for the next day. But then Disco Bear realized he had to get ready too. Although... he wasn't entirely comfortable changing in front of Cub, thinking that would take away his innocence. Ironically, the Tree Friends themselves were quite far from innocent. But then Disco Bear got an outlandish but potentially effective idea. In a flash, he rushed out of the bathroom through the open door, rushed back in and jumped into the shower, closing the curtains without being seen, turned on the shower, turned it off, and then emerged freshly dressed in his standard yellow jumpsuit and platform shoes. Cartoon logic did have its uses at times. Disco Bear smiled and nodded to himself as he did that slickly and in good time. Cub carried an expression of thought in his face so Disco Bear took him into his arms and decided it was time to eat a good, hearty breakfast. The best place to get a good, hearty breakfast was the town's best (and possibly only) restaurant.

Disco Bear and Pop entered and saw that there was no one there yet, except for Toothy that is. Toothy looked shocked to see Disco Bear at first, though perhaps it was because Toothy was wearing an apron, as though he was a server. Disco Bear looked a bit confused too, leading Toothy to explain that since Petunia was dead, he had to take over as the cook/waiter/manager of the restaurant. Disco Bear accepted his explanation and he sat at one of the stools placed at the counter and set Cub on the stool next to him. Disco Bear looked at the menu eagerly, seeing delicious things like bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Although he hated that he knew he couldn't eat them because of his ever inconsistent weight. He would feel quite guilty if he ate such a big breakfast and sometimes he would realize how big he was getting and eat fruit instead. It was a vicious cycle that made Disco Bear a target of ridicule.

Cub on the other hand had much simpler sensibilities about food and also about choices. He thought it would be best to share a plate of food, especially since the portions looked generous from what he saw on the menu. Pop was in the process of teaching Cub right from wrong and how to make smart choices and Cub, to his credit, decided to apply some of Pop's teachings at the moment. Cub examined the menu with great accuracy and then gestured towards the choice that included, eggs, pancakes, and bacon. Disco Bear looked over at that dish and then looked back at Cub wondering what he meant. Cub sighed, realizing how difficult for a baby who knew no real words to explain his choices. Fortunately, he saw a fruit bowl on the counter, one that Disco Bear had usually helped himself too, and climbed onto the counter and pointed at one of the bananas. Disco Bear took it reluctantly, and then Cub then opened his mouth and pointed towards it, as though he wanted to eat it. Disco Bear smiled at this adorable display and broke off a piece of the banana set it down in front of Cub. Cub then mumbled something that sounded like a 'Ta Da'.

Disco Bear wasn't the brightest Tree Friend at times so he folded his arms and thought hard about what Cub was trying to point out. _Well he did pick one banana as though it was for... both of us. OH! _Disco Bear realized where Cub was getting at. Cub was thinking that they should pick that menu item and then split it between them. A very clever idea from such a young Tree Friend. Disco Bear agreed immediately and so he called to Toothy and declared his order and that he and Cub would split it. Toothy agreed and went onto making the delicious dish. A few minutes later and Toothy arrived with the pancakes, eggs, and bacon on a plate and placed it in front of Disco Bear and Cub. Disco Bear licked his lips as the dish looked very inviting. Cub was about to use a fork to pick up a piece of bacon but the dish was still freshly hot so Disco Bear quickly gave a strong breath that cooled the food down. Cub took a big bite and was very happy at the delicious, greasy, meaty taste of the bacon. Disco Bear then offered to cut up the pancakes so that it'd be easier for Cub to eat and Cub agreed. Disco Bear, with fatherly precision and grip, cut the pancakes and drizzled some maple syrup on the pancake slices that he found on the counter. Then he picked up a slice of the pancake with his fork, the maple syrup flowing like a waterfall from the pancake, and guided it gently into Cub's open mouth and Cub chomped on it.

The sight of Disco Bear feeding Cub brought a unique reaction from Toothy. Of course, Pop knew how to feed Cub but seeing someone different doing what Pop did as a father for Cub was quite... heartwarming. It presented Disco Bear in a different light, a light that not many Tree Friends knew about. Toothy assumed that Disco Bear had some ulterior motive for being Cub's father for the day but the fact he was taking it seriously and doing his job competently was a thing of beauty. Eventually, Disco Bear and Cub finished their meal and moved on to the next stage in how Disco Bear spent his free time, at the gym. The Tree Friends gym was quite advanced with various forms of exercise equipment, including a storage room that had meat-themed tools for exercise. Disco Bear, now in a very spiffy and appropriate gym outfit that consisted of a tank-top, headband, red shorts, white socks, and red/white sneakers. Disco Bear was currently punching a large rack of meat with impressive accuracy and force while Cub watched.

Watching Disco Bear pound the meat seemed exciting and action-packed to Cub. He looked daring and brave and strong. He was also memorizing the sounds of all of Disco Bear's blows coming into contact with the rack of meat Punch, punch, uppercut! Punch, punch, mid-strike! Punch, punch... double roundhouse kick! Clearly all that dancing Disco Bear liked to do came in handy. Cub, his mind still developing, tried to ponder what Disco Bear's childhood was like. Maybe he colored in coloring books? Or did he listen to music?

"... Ooh..." He muttered and groaned a bit, the thoughts making his little head spin. Disco Bear by now, was moving on to using a long sausage link as a jump-rope and was able to do it at a consistent pace. Realizing he might've left Cub alone for too long, he stopped and turned to face Cub who was moving around in a circle as though dizzy. Disco Bear gasped and quickly rushed over to him and picked him up in his arms and checked on him. He examined him from the left and right sides and he seemed perfectly fine. Cub even smiled, finding this kind of funny. Disco Bear was glad that he could be seen as charming by at least one person, even if it was a baby boy. None of the girls seemed to think of him as charming, only a nuisance. It was definitely a blow to his ego but he never gave up. This kind of liveliness and persistence was very rare and Disco Bear was not going to let it go to waste.

Eventually Disco Bear and Cub returned home, to Disco Bear's home that is, and were settling down. Disco Bear, back in his traditional outfit settled down on his bed and laid down for a bit, imagining a groovy tune in his head and nodding his head to the beat that was only heard in his mind. Cub, who was sitting on the bed, seemed to get what Disco Bear was doing. He seemed to be following the beat of his own drum. It looked kind of fun to Cub and he decided to want to try to follow the beat too. So Cub got up on the bed and tried to do a little dance. He moved from one foot to the other, arms outstretched in a free, flying motion and even hopped a bit. The soft covers and cushiony feel of the bed was the perfect type of dance floor for him. It was not the deadly kind of bed that Petunia once had (Although the Cursed Idol had played a role in that), but the perfect comfortable bed everyone desired. Disco Bear opened one of his eyes when felt movement on the bed and gasped to see Cub dancing in his own little way. Disco Bear's other eye opened instantaneously and he smiled a very big and happy smile. _I'm rubbing off on him,_ he thought with some pride. But then again Disco Bear always loved dancing.

Dancing was his way of expression, of reliving what he loved most about life, the thrill and excitement. It made him feel confident and sure of himself and he was good at it. Very good in fact. Obviously dance had the same effect as music at times, generating different feelings and emotions in people and produced an entertaining and lively atmosphere. No matter what art form people believed in or supported the most, no matter how skilled you were at it, dance was something everyone could do anytime anywhere. Disco Bear got off the bed and put on some funky disco music and the two were soon dancing and jumping on the bed. It was a sight for the ages, the sweet baby Cub and the groovy Disco Bear were interacting in very much the fashion of a family. The heart shape of the bed reflected the mood in a straightforward way. This possibly could've lasted through the rest of the day though Disco Bear and Cub both landed on the bed laying down and laughing after a particularly exciting jump from the both of them.

"Ohhhhh yeahhhhh." Disco Bear's catchphrase was used to convey something much more than confirmation that he looked good. This time, it was to convey how much fun he was having, how free and light he felt. How good it felt to be a father to someone. It was definitely a bit more meaningful than just getting someone to go on a date with you, like Petunia, it was raising someone to be good of heart. The disco music continued as Disco Bear and Cub laughed but a specific noise, coming from outside the house, pierced through the blissful notes. It was the sound of someone knocking on the door. Disco Bear had a hopeful hunch on who it might be. Disco Bear picked up Cub gently, tickled his nose a bit so that Cub would get excited, and headed towards the entrance. The knocking repeated again as Disco Bear approached the door and opened it. Sure enough, it was Pop, recovered from the hospital.

"Hey." He greeted. His right arm still was amputated but there was a fresh bandage that showed no blood stains and gave it the appearance of Handy's nubs. Pop had proven he had great willpower on Father's Day so it was no wonder he was out of the hospital so soon. It also helped that things usually went back to normal the next day in Happy Tree Friends town. Disco Bear smiled and greeted him back. Suddenly, Cub fussed a bit in his arms, causing Pop to raise an eyebrow in suspicion. Disco Bear gulped, knowing that if Pop thought he was a bad baby-sitter, then it might mean disaster. Disco Bear, still wearing a nervous grin on his face, set Cub down. Cub then began to do the dance that he been doing on the bed before Disco Bear. Pop uttered something in surprise and stopped to watch his own son's dance. Disco Bear did the same.

Cub danced and leapt and even shook his hips, everything he and Disco Bear had done together a few moments ago. He wanted to show Pop what he learned from Disco Bear and if anything, show that Disco Bear was a great babysitter. Cub ended his small solo with clapping his hands twice and once again exclaiming 'Ta Da'. Pop and Disco Bear, both feeling quite proud as people who took care of Cub, eagerly clapped for him. Pop then took the now tired Cub into his own arms and thanked Disco Bear.

"Don't mention it." Disco Bear replied. But then, for a very unusual instant, Disco Bear and Pop's eyes crossed paths and they both found themselves staring into the other's eyes. It seemed like their experiences were being shared with one another just through this look. Disco Bear's eyes conveyed enjoyment at taking care of Cub, how Cub affected him positively, and the time they shared together. Pop's eyes seemed to show his efforts to raise Cub positively, to protect him, and to be there for him. The stare was so intense, neither of them realized they were staring at one another. Cub though took a few breaths, as though he was about to sneeze before finally letting loose a sneeze. This brought Disco Bear and Pop back into reality. They then realized they had been staring at one another and turned away, fairly embarrassed. Pop then tended to Cub by muttering babyish words that appealed to the young bear, making him giggle once more. Disco Bear smiled and then Pop was on his way down the stairs, waving good bye to Disco Bear with one more 'thank you'. He was very grateful to see that Disco Bear had done a marvelous job at nursing and attending to his own son. It made him feel like there were people he could turn to in the Town when he needed help. Often times he did need help from others and so Disco Bear was another person he could count on.

Disco Bear then sighed and did a few stretches, the ordeal starting to get to him. While he didn't strain himself, he had done not only his daily routine, but also had to take care of Cub on top of it all. So he was a very tired Disco Bear. Still he was happy and quite satisfied too. He felt like he had done the best job he could've done and Cub certainly was happy to be around him and he didn't even cry. He had the skills of a dad, MAD skills. Plus dancing skills. Anyways, it was about sunset now and Disco Bear was tired so he decided to go inside, get into the covers of his bed (after straightening the sheets and blanket a bit), and take a nap. A nap that would likely become his sleep for the day. A sleep that was well-deserved for "Speedo".

"Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad."

I have to admit that I am a bit inconsistent with this. If I do become a successful writer someday I'll probably be more diligent. Then again it IS summer and I'm sure writers have to get away somewhere so I think it's valid. Personally I J'ADORE the quotes I find for the HTF stories. I mean they are just awesome and I think they really fit the themes of the story. You know, those quotes are a cute part of Happy Tree Friends after all, adding a moral that is strangely but accurately portrayed in the episodes filled with death and cuteness. So my Father's Day-themed story is done! I hope you enjoyed it XD. Now time for this writer to take a MAJOR risk. *Gulp* Wish me luck ;D. I do not claim any copyright and all rights belong respectfully and eloquently to Mondo Media (Who are currently really getting the fans involved) and Happy Tree Friends. Thank you so much readers!


End file.
